


Thorns digging in deep

by ViolentThings27, yeahgaba



Category: Those Who Dream
Genre: Amputee, Apocalypse, Body Horror, Cannibalism, Dystopia, Gen, Horror, Leg, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26106922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViolentThings27/pseuds/ViolentThings27, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahgaba/pseuds/yeahgaba
Summary: This story revolves around  long lost brothers and their journey with fighting monsters which leads to many discoveries and adventure along the way.
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Those Who Dream fanfiction written by Violent_Things_ and parxlivesmatter on instagram (wilburisbabie on AO3) Proofread by austen.nite on instagram.  
> This is fiction! Me (Ilse) and Gaba have made this from our brain juices.

Cooper was sitting in his room, livestreaming on his instagram, when he heard a loud thud from outside his window. He was glad to get away from the chat, which was asking him to bark at them, so he said he needed to pee and would be back soon. Another sound came from outside. The stairs made loud creaks when he walked downstairs. Pale blue moonlight shone through the windows next to the door, which he checked before opening it. 

It was a chilly night. Not chilly enough to wear a coat. It was just uncomfortable, just like the dead silence that made the air heavy. It took him a few moments to realise how empty the streets were. It should make him feel better, since there aren’t going to be people that will mug him or do something to him, but it felt eerie. 

Another sound. Now it was behind him.

He turned his head to the alley where the sound came from. He takes a few steps towards the dark alley. Another step. Still no sounds. 

He wasn’t able to see anything in the shadows of the houses that surround the alley. Anything could be in those shadows…

His mind was just playing tricks on him. He has been editing all night and it was getting to his head. 

It was all in his head. 

All in his head.

Right?

Another noise. A little click. Like nails scratching on concrete.  
Cooper could feel the hairs on his neck starting to stand up. He was in the shadows now, and he could feel it staring at him. He was unable to move. He was about to turn around and run when something jumped in front of him.

It was a cat. God, he was stupid. The cat was staring at him with its green eyes that lit up in the dark, mocking him. He exhaled shakely.

He wasn’t prepared for the enormous claw grabbing the cat’s tail and dragging into the shadows.

Cooper could hear a small skull crushing, flesh tearing apart, and a cat crying out.  
Also a scream that he recognised. It was his.

The quick movement in front of him made his legs move and he began running. His lungs hurt but he didn’t stop, he could hear it running behind him, he could hear the loud clatter of claws on the pavement. 

The claws were ice cold when they grabbed his ankle. It had a strong hold on him, locking his foot to the ground, which made him fall forward.

Cooper could feel his chin scrape the road. His teeth made an impact with his bottom lip, making it split and bleed. 

A claw pinned him to the ground.

Its claws went into his back slightly, breaking his skin. It was breathing down his neck, its saliva was falling on his neck and in his hair. It enjoyed this.

Another drop.

Another one.

Why was it waiting? It had gotten its prey. Why would it wait for him?

Cooper could hear footsteps and he turned his head from the pavement. A man was running towards him. He mustered the courage to yell for help.

It was clearly not pleased with him screaming for help, because it reached Cooper's head, slamming it against the pavement. His ears rang, his head was throbbing and the world was spinning. Blood went into his eyes, making everything around him red.

The footsteps came nearer, just a few seconds and he would be saved from this thing. 

“Get this fucking thing off!”

Cooper’s head got pressed to the concrete even harder, making him wince. The footsteps were just a few feet from him. He could make it.

Then it happened.

A screech was heard. The few drops of liquid turned into a flood. Cooper was covered with its blood as the stranger stabbed its head. It went limp and fell on top of him, pushing the oxygen out of his lungs.

“Are you okay?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that took fucking forever

“Are you okay?” 

He couldn’t answer. He couldn’t even move. The weight of it was suffocating him to the point he could barely breathe. the blood was stinging his eyes and it made him scream out of frustration at how helpless he was in that situation.

Cooper flinched when he felt a presence behind him, the stranger put a hand on his shoulder and dragged it off him. Yet he still felt paralyzed, like it was still on top of him. He could still hear the cries of the cat, the crushing of its bones, the stomping of heavy claws behind him.

Was he okay?

Fuck, no.

He rolled onto his side, pulling his knees to his chest. He just wanted it to stop. Just rest for a second…

He felt a hand collide with his face.

“What the fuck, man?!”

“Snap out of it, we have to get out of here,’’ said the stranger, which was now standing over him.

“We? I can save myself, thank you very much!”

“That’s not a nice thing to say to the man that saved you.”

“Shut the fuck up.’’

“Okay, Jesus, I’ll leave. I’m sure you’ll save yourself next time.’’ He mocked him. Not only did this man hit him, but he also had to mock him?

Cooper realised too late that the stranger was walking away and he was still laying on the ground. He realised how sticky his back was, how much his body hurt from that fall. The world was still spinning slightly and the blood in his eyes didn’t help either.

He doesn’t need that man, he thought, he could get home safely on his own. The house was only thirty metres away.

Slowly he turned himself to lay on his stomach. He could see a bit now. In front of him laid a man, that was the only thing he could compare it to. It laid in a pool of blood that came from a wound in its head. He could still see muscles under that gray leather-like skin. He could see some hair that used to be on it’s - or maybe their - head. Black, empty eyes stared into Cooper's eyes. God, he will always remember those eyes.

Snap out of it!

Groaning in pain he tried to get on his knees. It took an embarrassingly long time for him to do so, he wobbly tried to stand up. Standing up is quite a challenge when you get your head smashed against concrete.

Standing up he noticed how bad he felt. If the world could stop spinning for a second that would be great. 

The way back to his house was painful and tiring. All he wanted to do was go to his bed and sleep for the rest of his life. He knew there was something extremely wrong when things like that were walking around, but he couldn’t handle thinking too much about it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters on one night! who would have believed that?

Just a few more steps Cooper thought to himself knowing he would be safe. Already thinking about sinking in his bed, he didn’t notice a brick sticking out, which made him trip and fall to his knees. 

“Should’ve let me help you,’’ said a voice from behind him. A few seconds later he felt an arm around him bringing him up to his feet. 

“Why are you still here,” Cooper spat at the stranger.

“I had to grab something. Did you honestly think you were gonna make it home, dipshit?”

“Fuck off.”

“Just gonna get you inside.”

The last few feet went twice as fast with the stranger helping him. Cooper didn’t like to admit that he needed help.

Once inside, he let his body fall against the wall while the stranger locked the door behind them. 

This was the first time he really noticed what the stranger looked like. He had black hair and dark eyes that matched his. A flannel-

“You’re gonna have to clean your wall later.”

“What?”

“You’re still covered in blood.’’

“Oh yeah, i forgot,”

“so...you should shower’’

‘’o-oh, yeah i should.”

Cooper knew that he should. His back was getting cold and sticky and the smell of blood made him wanna throw up. Still, he felt like he was frozen. His brain wasn’t able to comprehend what just happened. It all happened so quick. One minute he was live streaming - did he even end the livestream? - and the next thing he had a claw in his back. Now he is sitting against his wall, covered in blood, trying to figure out why that thing was outside.

“What are you waiting for? Go shower,” said the stranger. 

He nodded and tried to stand up as much as possible. It took embarrassingly long for him to be balanced and the stranger staring at him didn’t help either. With hot cheeks he walked up the stairs, with the stranger supporting him with a hand on his midriff. 

His reflection scared him. He could see his back and hair covered in blood. When he pulled off his hoodie, he saw the huge claw marks on his back. Hell, he didn’t notice how huge its claws were but he knew they hurt. It definitely hurt when he was washing his hair and the shampoo streamed into his wounds, but right now he didn’t care, as long as he’s clean.

‘’All done?’’

‘’Yup.’’

The awkward silence made the air thick. Cooper realised that he didn’t know anything about the man standing in his living room. This man could kill him. It was a ridiculous thought, he knew that, but you never know. Well, he did kill that thing out there.

“You never told me your name.”

“It's Josh.’’

‘Mine’s Cooper.”

Another silence. To be honest, they both had no idea what to do next. Cooper was still so overwhelmed about what happened out there, that he didn’t notice the soft noises coming from the basement door.

“What was that thing out th-’’  
A loud crashing noise interrupted him. He flinched and Josh’s katana slipped out of his hand, onto the floor. Did he mention that Josh has a katana?The clinging of the blade was loud compared to the dead silence that followed the crash. 

“Did you hear that?’’

“Pretty hard to miss that.’’ Josh bit back. There was a small tremor in his voice. For the first time it sounded like something else than a bitter reply. He was scared too.

“I think there is something in your basement.”

“I am not going in there!’’ Cooper couldn’t help but raise his voice a bit. They were both scared and they knew it. 

“Do you think something could have come in through there?”

“Not sure, I have never been in there.”

“Fuck it, I’m checking what’s in there.” Josh picked up his katana from the floor, grimacing at the blood on the handle.

The door to the basement was locked. He put his ear against it. 

Nothing.

“Josh?”

“Shut up,’’ he whispered at Cooper.

Counting to three in his head, he took a deep breath. At three he kicked the door with as much force as he could. The bang of the door echoed through the house. 

What Josh saw in there made him lose the words that were on his tongue seconds ago.

“Josh what is it?’’

The air was too thick with tension to breathe properly and the silence seemed louder than ever before. From where Cooper was standing, he couldn’t see over Josh’s shoulder. “Josh you’re scaring me.”

‘’Maybe you should take a look at this?’’


	4. Chapter 4

The basement was… a sight.

“You’re seriously going down there?” asked Cooper. 

“What does it look like, you fucking himbo?’’ Josh spat. 

Reluctantly he followed Josh, who was already at the bottom of the stairs. Josh stiffens when he sees the entirety of the basement and after a few seconds he covers his nose with his bandana.

‘’Whaddya see? Cooper said. He was standing at the bottom now too, but he couldn't see anything, since Josh was still standing in front of him.

“Cooper, why do you have cages in your basement?’’ Josh asked his eyebrows slightly raised. His voice had an edge to it, it sounded like he was accusing Cooper of something. Cooper had no idea what he was on about, until he saw it.

In the middle of the basement stood a table covered in papers and strange fluids. Actually the whole basement was covered in fluids. In the corner there are multiple small cages. And the smell.   
It was the worst thing he has ever smelled. The combination of blood and pee smell made him tear up and lightheaded.   
“What the fuck happened here?”

“Dude, how am i supposed to know that?!”

“It's your house!”

“I’ve never been in h-”

“Did you hear that? Please tell me you heard that!” 

Josh was already on the other side of the room. Frantically checking the long row of cages. Coming closer, Cooper saw remains and multiple body fluids in them. Some of the cage floors were, quite frankly, covered in shit. 

A gasp escaped Josh’s mouth when he saw a body laying in one of them.

“What did you do to her?!” Josh's hand was resting on his katana, ready to strike at any moment.

"I didn't even know this was here, Josh!"  
Cooper couldn't help but raise his voice. He noticed the dangerous look in Josh's eyes and he did not want to become a Cooper Slice, thank you very much.

"You didn't know about your basement? In your house?"

"I was never allowed to come down here." 

"Well that explains a lot when there is a fucking body in your basement." He saw that Josh was still wary, but there was something else in his eyes now.

Judgement.

Why did that make Cooper feel so… bad? He barely knows Josh and they just found a body in his basement, of course he is going to judge, because there is an actual human being in here.   
He just likes to be trusted, just like every other human being on this planet.

While Cooper was thinking, Josh had awkwardly shuffled backwards, away from the girl.

Cooper stood in front of the cage now. From what he could see, she was a pretty girl. She had long black hair and a pale face. The closer he got the more things started to feel...off.

It looked like she had tear tracks on her cheeks. But those weren't tears. They were a vibrant cyan color. The girl also had the same weird, thick fluid around her mouth, slowly dripping down her chin. 

"Josh did you see this weird cyan stuff on her face?"

He got pushed away by a shoulder on his hand, making him stumble a bit. 

Josh stiffened, face blank, when he saw. 

"Josh, what's wrong?"

A pair of panicked eyes met his, and that was not a good sign. Josh was supposed to be the calm and collected one!

"Cooper, we have to-"

He got cut off by the girl jumping at him.

Everything went by in a blur for Cooper. The girl may have been quite malnourished and small, she still managed to knock Josh to the floor. Her claw like hands were wrapped around his wrists and her teeth were snapping at his neck. Josh screamed for help, but Cooper couldn't move. 

Fuck, Josh was in danger, Cooper thought to himself. 

His screams became more desperate the closer the teeth got to his neck. That made Cooper snap out of his daze. With adrenaline running through his veins, he grabbed the nearest object to him - an IV stand - and hit the girl on the head, knocking her off Josh.

“Fuck,” he breathed.

“Thanks, dude.’’ Josh said, also out of breath.

“We need to call 000.”

“Are you crazy? You killed someone!”

“First of all, I saved you, it was self defense. Second of all. You killed someone too!”

Silence fell upon them. Cooper wanted to cry. He killed someone. He actually took away someone's life. Not only that, for some reason there was an entire lab in his basement. He should have known something was wrong in here.   
His dad would disappear for hours every day. He was never allowed to go into the basement. He was even scared of it.   
And then you had the rules.

Rule 2: Only drink water from the tap between six AM and six PM. if it’s past those times, then you can only drink bottled water.

The fridge was filled with water bottles after that rule. One time Cooper tried to drink from the tap after six PM. When he sneaked down the stairs and stood before the tap, he couldn’t open it. The knobs were gone.

Rule 23: Take your medicine every morning.

Cooper could hear his parents argue a few minutes before this rule was installed. Then they came in holding a couple bottles of medicine. He never asked what they’re for, but he still takes them every day.

Rule 47: Even though the plants in the garden are made of plastic, water them every morning.

The week before this rule was installed, the plants in their garden had died. Cooper thought they’d bought plastic plants so they wouldn’t die, but he still had to water them every morning. It was weird at first, but it became a routine pretty fast.

Rule 69: When you hear the sirens, make sure you avoid the basement.

Every morning he woke up wondering if he would hear the sirens. He never did.

Cooper’s dad must have been behind this lab. Even though the rules were weird, some of them were making sense now. 

“I need to call my parents. You can call 000 and say that it was self defense, okay?” Cooper told Josh, assuming he had a phone on him.

His parents still hadn’t picked up the third time he called, and Cooper felt panic rise in his chest again. Josh didn’t have success either, which was kind of ridiculous since the emergency number should always be available.

“Maybe try to see if there is anything on the news?’’ Josh sighed after trying to reach 000 for another time.

“Yeah sure.”

Everything was normal on tv. It was weird. Were they the only ones that saw those creatures? It would also kind of make sense since it’s like three am and everyone’s asleep. Cooper walked to the window and moved the curtains a bit so he could inspect the street. 

Nothing?

There was nothing there? Maybe it was just a one time thing? It would be an awful and really fucking weird one time thing, but still. There were probably things like aliens. Why wouldn’t there be these creatures then? Maybe these creatures were the aliens? The galaxy was so big that it would be highly unlikely that they were alone here. He never expected them to look so… human.

“Josh, i think it’s safe.’’

“Trust me, it isn’t.”

“Well if it’s not, what do we do now? We can’t contact anyone and the police station is closed.’’

“I don’t know, Cooper!’’ Josh snapped at him, while running a hand through his hair and pushing it off his forehead. “Sorry, just- let’s just sleep okay? Let’s lock the door and take turns sleeping.”

Cooper nodded, leading Josh to his bedroom. While going up the stairs, Josh offered to stay awake first. Cooper agreed, too tired to argue. 

He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, still fully clothed.


End file.
